Technologies developed in East Anglia to revolutionise energy and resource efficiency will be in the spotlight at a conference.

Driving Clean Growth will be a showcase for developments and opportunities in clean technologies, from transport to utilities management, in Norfolk and Suffolk.

The conference, taking place at the University of East Anglia’s Enterprise Centre on September 3, has been shaped by the government’s clean growth strategy and covers similar themes such as cleaner smarter power, business efficiency, managing natural resources and housebuilding.

Norfolk and Suffolk have 1,224 low carbon goods and services companies which employ 21,399 people and generate sales worth £2.95bn.

The cleantech sector is expected to grow by 11% by 2030 – four times faster than the UK economy as a whole.

Conference organiser Imogen Shiperlee said: “Clean growth is becoming more and more important in the UK but with the strategy there is a lack of focus on how local government and businesses can further clean growth regionally. The conference will show how we can facilitate clean growth in Norfolk and Suffolk.”

James Dunning, chief executive of Syrinix, which develops and delivers intelligent pipeline monitoring for water companies, will be speaking at the conference.

He believes cleantech is growing past its roots in transport and renewable energy to encompass other sectors, like the one in which his company operates.

“Water has been the poor cousin of the cleantech sectors but with the recent heatwave water is rising up the agenda,” he said.

“Anglia is one of the driest regions in the country but Anglian Water is really actively engaged with technology and innovation and it did not have a hosepipe ban, so we have a good example of where these technologies can help companies manage their networks better.”

He said the conference would help to boost the region’s profile as a leader in cleantech, a strength identified in the Norfolk and Suffolk local economic strategy.

“It helps to establish the East of England as more of a powerhouse beyond just Cambridge and the Silicon Fen,” he said.

“There is a huge amount of market-leading stuff going on but we are not very good at blowing our own trumpet. But there is more than is starting to be done and conferences like this are part of that.”

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